For your paper, choose one of the following three poems, and
formulate a thesis about the poem. Be sure to take note of the
poem's form, meter, and rhyme -- issues we've addressed since the
last paper -- as well as its diction, tone, and imagery, as you
develop your thesis. Choose from: Lawrence's "Piano," Frost's
"Acquainted with the Night," Rossetti's "In an Artist's Studio."
(Note: The Frost and Rossetti selections are in sonnet form.)

Guidelines:

1.

Read and Reread. Read and reread the poem
you've decided to write about, with a mind to the topic
you have chosen. As you take careful notes (underlining
all relevant words, phrases, and images), make use of the
"What Is Close Reading?" handout and the discussion on
versification in the Norton Anthology or in Abrams's
Glossary of Literary Terms.

2.

Formulate a thesis. Make sure your thesis is
specific enough to be covered adequately in the space of
your discussion. A common trap of a thesis is to simply
list techniques that develop a theme: In "On the Sonnet,"
Keats uses form, meter, and rhyme to comment upon the
sonnet form. That is as much as to say, Keats writes a
poem that comments upon the sonnet form. Instead: Keats's
"On the Sonnet" playfully deconstructs the sonnet form in
order to highlight its limits and to suggest new
possibilities for the writer of sonnets. To demonstrate
this, the writer would discuss the elements of the poem
(such as form, meter, rhyme, imagery, etc.) that
establish this action. Refer to the handout titled
"Thesis vs.
Topic."

3.

Brainstorm. Formulate ideas and collect
quotations that will prove and develop your thesis.

4.

Organize your argument logically. Be sure to
stay with a single idea and develop it thoroughly. Do not
introduce ideas that will distract your reader from your
central point. For example, do not include the meter of
the poem just to include the meter of the poem. Instead,
determine whether the meter (and any variations) could
further support the claims of your thesis. Be sure that
each paragraph has a controlling idea and that each
paragraph leads logically to the next.

5.

Prove it. A quotation should be used as
evidence to prove your assertions. All general statements
should be supported with evidence from the text. Be sure
to analyze the quotation and discuss its
significance.

6.

Be specific. Stay away from vague
generalizations.

7.

Conclusion. Your last paragraph should
synthesize, not summarize. You should resolve -- and not
merely repeat -- your argument.

8.

Revise and edit. Read your paper out loud to
yourself. Often you will hear what your eyes will
miss.

9.

When in doubt, get help. My office hours are TR
1:00-2:30, W 3-4, and by appointment. My email address is
Philip.W.Nel@Vanderbilt.Edu.
And please make use of your Bedford Handbook and
(if you opted to purchase a copy) The Elements of
Style.